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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22660459">Neighbors</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotsauce/pseuds/dugindeep'>dugindeep (hotsauce)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Crushes, M/M, Pizza, Valentine's Day</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:20:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22660459</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotsauce/pseuds/dugindeep</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen doesn't feel so bad about being stuck at home for Valentine's Day. In fact, it works out pretty darn well for him ...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Danneel Harris/Ryan Hansen (mentioned), Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Neighbors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the <a href="https://kelleigh.livejournal.com/360397.htm">2020 Be Mine: SPN/RPF Comment Meme</a> prompt: <i>Jensen didn't bother to make any plans for Valentine's Day since he's alone. He thinks the guy he's been crushing on, Jared, is already dating someone else. Turns out, he was wrong.</i></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jensen huffs into the phone. “For the tenth time, no.”</p>
<p>Danneel huffs in return. “It’s only been like five. Six, tops.”</p>
<p>“I’m still not coming.”</p>
<p>Danneel’s been harassing him for the last ten minutes – all week really – to join their group of friends for dinner. Jensen thinks sitting among three couples on <i>Valentine’s Day</i> is something akin to torture. She’s been insisting it won’t be romantic at all … “And you won’t be third wheel.”</p>
<p>Jensen shoulders his cell against his ear as he folds the sweatshirt from the bottom of the basket. At least staying in on a Friday night gives him a chance to catch up on laundry. “More like a seventh wheel.”</p>
<p>To her credit, Danneel sounds a bit sad and guilty when she asks, “Are you really gonna stay home all night?”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about me.” The roll of his eyes is evident in his voice. “I’ve got beer in the fridge, a pizza on the way, and my best friend Hulu to continue my SVU marathon.”</p>
<p>“You know,” she starts with a leading tone “You could just take a quick trip across the hall and finally –”</p>
<p>“No, no, no, no,” Jensen rushes out before she can finish that thought.</p>
<p>“C’mon, you guys are like buddies and –”</p>
<p>“Yeah, like buddies. But not really.”</p>
<p>“And he’s super friendly and hot and –”</p>
<p>Jensen sighs. “And guys like that have dates on Valentine’s Day.”</p>
<p>“You never know.”</p>
<p>For once, she sounds encouraging, not skeptical or sarcastic, and Jensen smiles a little, because yeah, he’s been mad crushing on the guy in the apartment across the hall. <i>Jared</i>, who is insanely tall and built and yet soft and sweet in all the right ways with kind eyes and a wide smile. They haven’t done much more than chat at the mailboxes or when they run into one another coming or going from their places. There was the one time Jared came by to borrow a cup of sugar and wound up lingering in Jensen’s kitchen for an hour and two beers before insisting he was imposing and all but ran back to his apartment.</p>
<p>Jensen figures his interest and attempts to flirt turned Jared off, so there’s no sense in holding out hope.</p>
<p>Danneel starts up a new round of begging, now negotiating that he meet them for drinks after dinner.</p>
<p>Before he can answer, the buzzer goes off and he has an easy excuse to get her off the phone. “My pizza’s here and you’re probably already late for Ryan.”</p>
<p>“Oh shit, yeah, I gotta run.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t bother with a proper goodbye, just ends the call and goes to the speaker box near his door to buzz in the pizza man.</p>
<p>A minute goes by and Jensen opens the door to offer the guy a smile, sign the check, then take the pizza.</p>
<p>Following the guy’s wink and hearty, “Have a happy Valentine’s Day!” Jensen glares at his retreating back then quickly schools his face into something nicer when he sees Jared walking around the deliver guy. Jared must be coming back from a run because he’s soaked through his t-shirt and shorts, sweat shining on his face, down his neck and arms, and even over his perfectly sculpted legs.</p>
<p>Jensen didn’t think he had a thing for calves, but then he met Jared and <i>damn</i> …</p>
<p>Jared pulls his earbuds out once he spots Jensen and serves up a broad smile. “Hey, how’s it going?”</p>
<p>Jensen’s heart honest to God skips a beat and he wants to bang his head against the door frame for how his body can react to such a simple question. But Jared’s voice is light and his eyes are warm when he approaches Jensen. “It’s going,” Jensen replies with a quick nod. “Went for a run, huh?” He quickly shuts his eyes for the stupid question.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Jared laughs brightly. “Yeah, how could you tell?”</p>
<p>He does a long look from head to toe to make his point, and if he takes his time to enjoy the view, sue him.</p>
<p>“Ahh, Paisano’s.” Jared happily sighs, motioning at the pizza box in Jensen’s hands. “That’s my favorite.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, me, too.” In a brief silence, Jensen abruptly asks, “Late date tonight?” even when he doesn’t really want to know. Jared tips his head and oddly glances at him, so Jensen quickly adds on, “I’m sure you’ve got plans for Valentine’s Day.”</p>
<p>With a quirked smile, he replies, “Oh yeah, real sexy plans with my TV.” He pushes hair off his forehead, almost shy like, and barely meets Jensen’s eyes to say, “I’m single as a dollar bill.”</p>
<p>Jensen laughs in relief and suddenly his smile is so big his cheeks hurt. “You, too, huh?”</p>
<p>Jared’s face brightens as well, so they’re a pair of awkward idiots milling in the hallway, just grinning at one another. “Really? <i>You?</i>”</p>
<p>He’s heard that plenty of times … <i>how is someone who looks like <b>you</b> still single?</i> And, well, he’s rather particular about dating. Particularly into Jared lately.</p>
<p>“That’s a pretty big pizza,” Jared says loftily, “for just one person.”</p>
<p>Jensen gulps then coughs as he clears his throat to cover the noise, because he can feel they’re just seconds away from actually doing something. “Yeah, it is.” He takes a deep breath and looks at Jared straight on so there’s no mistaking this. “You want to help me out? It’s sausage.”</p>
<p>Jared seems to choke on absolutely nothing, but he quickly nods anyway. “I love sausage.”</p>
<p>Then Jensen’s nodding along with a stupid grin that he can’t wipe off his face. “Me, too.”</p>
<p>“That’s good. <i>Really</i> good.” Jared runs a hand down his chest, like he’s trying to calm himself down, and then he winces and pulls the fabric from his chest. “You mind waiting until I shower? Then I’ll be right over.”</p>
<p>“Don’t take too long.” Jensen lifts the pizza an inch or two. “Don’t want this getting cold.”</p>
<p>“We can just heat it up.”</p>
<p>It sounds so cheesy and yet perfectly fine because Jensen would love to heat things up with Jared tonight.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, that was horrible. I’ll be right back if you don’t totally hate me for that.”</p>
<p>In an instant, Jared is in his apartment with the door shutting, and Jensen pushes his own door open with an excited flourish, followed by a fist pump.</p>
<p>He puts the pizza in the oven to keep it warm and runs to his bedroom to take care of all the folded laundry on his bed. Just in case they end up in here, like if Jared wants a tour or something …</p>
<p>A few other things get tucked away, a pile of mail, snacks left out on the counter from last night, dirty dishes from the living room into the dishwasher. He’s surveying his apartment for any other errant things to hide when the door opens and Jared nearly tumbles in like Kramer on Seinfeld. Only infinitely hotter just because he’s <i>Jared</i> and also thanks to the fitted jeans and v-neck that shows off the curves of his neck and collar bones.</p>
<p>“Hope there’s still some pizza left,” Jared jokes.</p>
<p>“I’ve been waiting for you,” he replies, trying to not squirm at how true that statement really is. He distracts himself from whatever Jared’s reaction is by getting the pizza out of the oven and setting it on the stove top. When he opens the box, he stalls for a good five seconds of silence before he does finally squirm. “Well, this is embarrassing.”</p>
<p>Jared leans in to look at it before huffing a laugh and nudging Jensen’s shoulder. “It’s kinda cute.”</p>
<p>Jensen glares at the extra-large thin-crust sausage pizza, which should be drool-worthy appetizing any other day of the week. But since it’s Valentine’s Day, the pizza is shaped as an extra-large heart.</p>
<p>“Like you,” Jared murmurs as he nudges Jensen again.</p>
<p>He turns to Jared and then Jared’s kissing him, careful and slow at first, but in due time it’s deep and messy and hands are finding all sorts of places to touch.</p>
<p>In the end, the pizza does get cold, Jensen finds out Jared really likes sausage, and Jared most certainly gets a tour of the bedroom … and the couch … and the shower.</p>
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